This is a view of the opposite end of the lane from yesterday, heading back to the hotel. The lane is getting narrower and more dangerous. Motorcycles running at a very high speed in the lane are more frightening than cars. The train line is a long-distance line from Ayutthaya Station to Bangkok. The tracks are narrow gauge, the same as in Japan, but I will report on the condition of the trains after my return.

This is an example of an intersection, but it is a very dangerous one because of the incoming left-turning cars. If there is a divider, you have to stop at the divider and wait for the traffic to pass before crossing. You also have to watch for traffic signals, so you need to have good bike skills. I am getting more and more adapted to it. I don't have a video here, but I learned to drive in reverse, and it suddenly became easier. In short, it is a way to drive on the edge of the lane that is easier to drive, regardless of the rules. As you can see in this video, there are a lot of bikes going the other way. I use this method with my bicycle. Well, this is a place where the old oracle of "the power to live" really lives on.

Here is an additional video. This is a bicycle lane in a scenic area. However, it is not a priority area, so it is your own responsibility to ride a bicycle. My first impression of this area was that it is similar to Nara city Japan. I thought it would be similar if elephants were replaced by deer. I will give you more details tomorrow or later.

Here is an additional video I uploaded. We found out that there is another bridge to the south of Ayutthaya city, which we crossed on the last day. As you can see, this bridge has a sidewalk, and the sidewalk is designed to allow bicycles to pass under the bridge. Now that we have discovered this bridge, it will be much easier to enter the city by bicycle from the outside next time.

Bansu station, which looks like the Osaka station, of Thai National Railways in Bangkok, has a different name that I can't remember. You can buy tickets with air-conditioning the day before, but you cannot buy 3rd class tickets without air-conditioning online, and you have to buy them directly at the station 20 minutes before departure. The station is modern, clean, and very well built, just like the Shinkansen stations.

The next day, I left my large luggage at my hotel in Bangkok and boarded the train with only my backpack. The price of 191 baht is shown in the lower left corner and my passport is required to purchase the ticket. Naturally, you are assigned a seat, so make sure you get the correct train number and seat. The conductor comes to check my ticket immediately.

Interior view. For late-night trips, the beds will probably come down from above to form a double-decker sleeping car. There is a fan, but it is unnecessary because the air conditioner is working. Luggage can be placed on the upper shelf or on the luggage rack as you can see. This car has a seat for one person. I said hello to the woman in front of me when I sat down. She smiled at me. The one-way ticket costs about 900 yen, which is an expensive ticket for Thai Railways.

The first thing to do after departure is to drive through the city of Bangkok. The scenery here is similar to that of the Shin-Osaka area on the Midosuji subway line. The train stopped once at Don Mueang Airport. The train skipped at several more stations because it is a rapid train.

Now we have arrived at Ayutthaya station and just got off the train. Passengers are getting on the train to Chiang Mai. I would like to take this train to Chiang Mai someday. I forgot to write about the narrow gauge of the tracks in Thailand. It is the same narrow gauge as in Japan, but actually it is not exactly the same. Japan's gauge is 1,067 mm, but Thailand's is a bit more like 1,000 mm (metric narrow gauge). I did not know this. I thought the track width was narrow at the first station.

I took a picture of the station as I watched the train departing. Many of the passengers were Europeans and Americans, which made me feel as if I were in the European countryside. I have not been to Europe much (laugh).

I rented a bicycle at a bicycle rental shop in front of the station, which I finally found with the Google map. As I already wrote in the Bicycle section, I only had to pay 60 Baht/24hours for 2 days within 48 hours, not 3 days. I like the fact that they are not too commercial. This picture was taken when I returned the bike. The location is easy to find, but when I first arrived, I was confused and walked around a bit with a heavy backpack. The location is directly in front of the station, a little further down the alley on the opposite side of the road. Google maps are full of lies, by the way. I have been cheated many times and had quite a bad experience.

The colorful Daihatsu Midget vehicles are conspicuous in front of the station. They are cabs for tourists, but they are not Daihatsu originals, but copies produced locally. The only difference from the original is that the lights are not round. I never expected to see so many Midgets here, which I have not seen in Japan for a long time.

As I mentioned earlier, it is in a remote area 4-5 km away from the city center, so a car or a motorcycle is necessary. After checking out yesterday morning, I went to Ayutthaya station to leave my heavy backpack for sight-seeing. I already know the way to the station, so I took the easy way to the station.

The hotel is so new that the bike taxi drivers hardly knew it, and even called me on my cell phone to ask where it was. The lobby on the first floor has a microwave, hot water kettle, and a free coffee machine in the morning. However, if I would visit this city again, I would prefer to stay closer to the city center.

I noticed this when I was sightseeing yesterday. The bicycle had been used for commuting to school somewhere Japan. It was a mom's bicycle, but it had a gear shift and was very convenient. However, the adjustment of the high saddle was rusted and it was not working, so it was quite dangerous in the city.

This was the evening before yesterday, when I went to a shopping mall near my hotel to buy dinner. Every mall here is decorated to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Staff members dressed in Chinese clothes are also participating in the campaign. This is a scene that clearly shows the recent expansion of China into Thailand. However, the parking lots are full of cars and motorcycles, not a bicycle in sight. I think I'm the only one who rides a bicycle in such a place.

Well, this was dinner on the first day of the trip. I bought these at the mall, but I wanted to buy something more decent. I even bought heavy mangoes, but I left my fruit knife in Bangkok, so I had to bring them back to Bangkok. Croissants for breakfast. I could drink the hotel's coffee in the morning as it was provided by the hotel lobby. If I am not sure about the menu, I can choose Kai Jiao Rice.

So I thought of something decent, and decided to try No. 8 Ramen the next evening. It was reasonable 120THB and delicious!

Yesterday morning, the last day of my Ayutthaya trip, I left my backpack and two shopping bags at the train station's luggage storage. 10 Baht/each is a reasonable price. I have never seen coin operated lockers in this country. So, my carrying was so light that I rode my bicycle again to the museum and other places. I forgot one more thing. While I was wandering around taking this picture, a staff member came out from inside and gave me the key of my bicycle that I had dropped in the locker. The key is very important. I almost had to pay for the key to the rental shop. Thanks to the kind station staff.

This is my lunch on the last day. I had lunch at the station cafeteria. The menu was quite varied, so I chose the lasagna you see here. Since I had already returned my bicycle, I naturally had a beer for lunch. The total price was about 250 Baht. It was very tasty. The waiter was a young man who still looked intimidated and serve me the beer. I tipped him 20 baht when I paid the bill.

I decided to go to the restroom before boarding the train, and to my surprise, I found that I had to pay 3 baht (14 yen) to enter the restroom. I was surprised at this, because it was a toilet in a public train station.

I'm just about to return the bike, which has served me well for the past three days. From a high school student commuting to school, it is now working in a foreign sightseeing spot. I would like to be able to be like him (laugh).

Waiting for the train at the station. This guy in front of me has a YAMAHA guitar case. He looks so cool.

My scheduled train 76 was delayed by 45 minutes. Actually, there was a slight mistake after that. The 112 rapid train, which came in one train before the sign, was also late, but by the time I asked the station staff if I could transfer to it, it was already ready to depart. so I could not get on. Well, it was only for about 20 minutes.

So, the rapid train I mentioned has just arrived. I was taking a video and could not judge whether I could get on this train or not, so I asked the station staff a little after I finished taking the video. But it was already too late. It was a lesson for the next time.

Now, 45 minutes late, we say goodbye to Ayutthaya station. The train was quite full, and some people were standing. 3rd class is not reserved seats, so you can get on train as you want. This is what the station clerk told me that the train would never be full and that I would get my ticket.

As you can see, the one-way trip costs 20 baht. This is about the same cost as a tip at a hotel or restaurant. I was surprised because it is an express train. The lady at the counter did not tell me the reason why the low price. It seems that the price depends on the conditions, and is totally different from the information on the Internet. I was worried about the lack of air conditioning, but the breeze coming in through the open window was as refreshing as if it were May in Japan. I guess it is just only this season during the year.

Well, I'm staying at a regular hotel in Bangkok. I booked a twin room on the top floor of this hotel for the first time, but Booking.com said I could stay only one day from tomorrow, but I added three nights before and after to make it four nights in total. I'm going to rest for my relaxation from now on. As I mentioned before, the transportation in the city is free until tomorrow, so I am going to go sightseeing in Bangkok. I plan to upload the Ayutthaya World Heritage Site after tonight.

There is a new food stall village under the ARL (Airport Rail Link) station near the hotel. I had the Pad Thai for dinner last night for 60 Baht, a very reasonable price.

Dinner was served with a can of Chang that I brought back from my trip. I was so tired that I fell asleep. Thank you for reading my diary.